Constraining the ${}^{30}$P($p,\gamma {)}^{31}$S reaction rate in ONe novae via the weak, low-energy, $\beta$-delayed proton decay of ${}^{31}$Cl

Abstract

The ${}^{30}$P$(p,\gamma {)}^{31}$S reaction plays an important role in understanding nucleosynthesis of $A\ge 30$ nuclides in oxygen-neon novae. The Gaseous Detector with Germanium Tagging was used to measure ${}^{31}$Cl $\beta$-delayed proton decay through the key $J^{\pi }=3/2^{+}$, 260-keV resonance. The intensity $I_{\beta p}^{260}=8.3_{-0.9}^{+1.2}\times 10^{-6}$ represents the weakest $\beta$-delayed, charged-particle emission ever measured below 400 keV, resulting in a proton branching ratio of ${\Gamma }_p/\Gamma =2.5_{-0.3}^{+0.4}\times 10^{-4}$. By combining this measurement with shell-model calculations for ${\Gamma }_{\gamma }$ and past work on other resonances, the total ${}^{30}$P$(p,\gamma {)}^{31}$S rate has been determined with reduced uncertainty. The new rate has been used in hydrodynamic simulations to model the composition of nova ejecta, leading to a concrete prediction of ${}^{30}$Si/${}^{28}$Si excesses in presolar nova grains and the calibration of nuclear thermometers.

arXiv comment7 pages, 2 figures, accepted to Physical Review Letters on April 4, 2022

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• First application of Markov Chain Monte Carlo-based Bayesian data analysis to the Doppler-Shift Attenuation Method
• Extension of the particle x-ray coincidence technique: The lifetimes and branching ratios apparatus